Re: [basex-talk] $node//text()[1], why doesn't it return the 1st text node?

This is a matter of precedence.

<li>{ $node//text()[1] }</li>

Has the meaning of "return all text nodes, that are in first position of their encapsulating element". Consider the intermediate result after partial evaluation to be something like

("allo!"[1], "Il pleut des clous."[1])

Applying parenthesis as you proposed in #4 resolves the issue:

<li>{ ($node//text())[1] }</li>

resulting in

("allo!", "Il pleut des clous.")[1]

instead.

This is not an issue in $5, as all text nodes are stored in a sequence (which is flattened), and you return the first result of the flattened sequence.